Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
things about a new trattoria in the Jewish Ghetto. Then, if it's a nice day on Sunday, he
likes the idea of a day in the greenery of the Castelli Roman.
RELIGION IN ROMAN LIFE
Rome is a city of churches. From the great headline basilicas in the historic centre to the hundreds of parish
churches dotted around the suburbs, the city is packed with places to worship. And with the Vatican in the centre
of town, the Church, with a capital C, is a constant presence in Roman life.
Yet the role of religion in modern Italian society is an ambiguous one. On the one hand, almost 90% of Italians
consider themselves Catholic; on the other, only about a third attend church regularly. But while Romans don't go
to church very often, they are, on the whole, a conformist bunch, and for many the Church remains a point of ref-
erence. The Church's line on ethical and social issues might not always meet with widespread support, but it's al-
ways given an airing in the largely sympathetic national press. Similarly, more than 60% of people who get mar-
ried do so in church and first communions remain an important social occasion entailing gift-giving and lavish re-
ceptions.
Catholicism's hold on the Roman psyche is strong, but recent increases in the city's immigrant population have
led to a noticeable Muslim presence - by the latest estimates about 110,000 out of a city population of 2.6 milli-
on. This has largely been a pain-free process, but friction has flared on occasion and in 2007 Rome's right-wing
administration blocked plans to open a mosque in the multi-ethnic Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II area.
